Deterrence

ANBU.

Itachi, conflicted over the Uchiha clan's impending extermination, suddenly received word that Konoha's higher-ups had summoned him.

"Hmm!? Lord Third and Lord Danzo are summoning me together, and the location isn't ANBU but Root. Is something going to happen?"

Itachi asked A beside him.

For some reason, he vaguely had a bad feeling about this!

"Don't know!"

A's answer was brief and to the point.

"Then has anything unusual happened in the village today?"

Ever since Itachi had been told that he would carry out the Uchiha Clan Extermination Plan in a few days, he had locked himself in ANBU's small room... pondering whether he should commit the righteous act of killing his own kin for the sake of the village.

His access to information had been cut off these past few days.

Now that he was out, he also wanted to know whether anything major had happened in the village lately.

"Don't know!"

Unfortunately, A's answer was the same as before. He could not get any information at all.

He could only take things one step at a time!

Helpless, Itachi followed A and hurried toward Root's base.

"Lord Third, Lord Danzo, may I ask why the two of you summoned me here?"

After bowing to the Third Hokage and Danzo, Itachi asked respectfully.

"Hmph!"

Danzo turned his gaze aside and did not even look Itachi in the eye. His name being placed after the Third Hokage's made him somewhat displeased.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, on the other hand, revealed a kindly smile and said gently:

"Itachi! You're here. I called you over to tell you about the Uchiha clan."

"This old man has received intelligence from spies. The Uchiha clan will launch a coup tomorrow!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone was grave, tinged with helplessness.

"Therefore, to prevent the Uchiha clan from bearing the charge of betraying the village, and for the village's peace and stability, Elder Danzo and I have decided to act against the Uchiha clan tonight!"

Itachi Uchiha's face filled with shock when he heard this.

"Lord Third, didn't you say we would decide whether to act in five days?"

"Alas..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a sigh, his face filled with grief and anguish.

"Your clansmen have already come close to madness. This old man does not wish for things to turn out this way either, but... alas! There is truly no other way!"

"We must act tonight. Otherwise, when the Uchiha clan launches its coup tomorrow, all of Konoha will become a battlefield, and countless lives will suffer!"

"At that time, innumerable innocent people will die because of the Uchiha clan's mistake. Worse still, the other ninja villages will take advantage of the situation."

"If Konoha is destroyed, the Uchiha clan will become sinners for all eternity!"

As he said this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was sorrowful, his emotions seemingly genuine. A faint glimmer appeared in his eyes, as though he truly saw Konoha reduced to ruins.

Danzo, standing beside him, looked on with disdain. Hiruzen really was hypocritical to the extreme.

Unlike him, who was wholly devoted to Konoha!

The Third Hokage paid no attention to what Danzo was thinking and continued his performance. He said sorrowfully:

"Itachi! As an inheritor of the Will of Fire, you surely do not wish to see such a thing happen, do you!?"

Itachi lowered his head, making it impossible to see his expression.

After a long silence, he finally said in a hoarse voice:

"I understand, Lord Third. But the request you promised me before..."

"Rest assured!"

Before he could finish, Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him.

With a sincere expression, he said:

"After completing this mission, you will be Konoha's hero."

"I guarantee that your younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, will be absolutely safe in Konoha! Not only that, if his talent is sufficient, this old man will take him as a disciple and personally teach him ninjutsu, devoting all his efforts to nurturing him into an outstanding Konoha ninja!"

"In the future, if Sasuke's abilities are strong enough, it is not impossible for him to become Konoha's Hokage!"

To make Itachi Uchiha act tonight, Hiruzen Sarutobi shamelessly painted an enormous picture of the future.

Whether it worked or not, he had to show his sincerity. Only then would his subordinates willingly work their lives away for him.

Unlike Danzo, who did not know how to paint grand visions or win over his subordinates with sincerity, and could only use the "Tongue Eradication Seal" to forcibly control them in the end.

Itachi Uchiha fell silent again. After a long while, he said, "I hope Lord Third will not break his promise!"

The next moment,

Whoosh!

Itachi abruptly raised his head, his eyes suddenly turning scarlet.

He had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan!

The Third Hokage's decision to launch the Uchiha Clan Extermination Plan early had also disrupted the contingency he had prepared.

When he had first received the mission to exterminate the Uchiha clan, a mysterious man claiming to be Uchiha Madara had approached him.

Itachi had made a deal with him.

The deal was that after he slaughtered the Uchiha clan, he would join an organization called Akatsuki and serve it.

In return, that mysterious man would secretly watch over Sasuke for him, preventing the Third Hokage or Danzo from making a move in the shadows and quietly killing Sasuke!

But now, the Third Hokage had suddenly announced that the plan would begin early, rendering his contingency useless.

Because he and that mysterious man only had one-way contact. Only the mysterious man could contact him; he had no way to contact the mysterious man.

Thus, to make up for the loss of his contingency, Itachi could only reveal his Mangekyō Sharingan as a deterrent!

As if he had not seen the Mangekyō Sharingan in Itachi's eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke with absolute certainty, thumping his chest in guarantee:

"This old man guarantees on the honor of the Sarutobi clan that Uchiha Sasuke's life will be protected!"

"And you, Lord Danzo. I hope you can give me a guarantee as well!"

Itachi turned his gaze toward Danzo on the other side.

Danzo stared fixedly at Itachi's eyes, the greed in his one eye nearly taking tangible form.

Another Mangekyō Sharingan!

Another Mangekyō Sharingan!

This old man must obtain it!

Danzo roared inwardly.

He had already transplanted Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, so he understood perfectly well how powerful the Mangekyō Sharingan was!

Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan possessed the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami. What ability did your Mangekyō Sharingan possess, Itachi Uchiha?

A trace of anticipation rose in Danzo's heart.

"Ahem!"

The Third Hokage gave a light cough, and only then did Danzo come back to his senses.

"Hmph!"

He snorted first, then said disdainfully, "He's merely a brat who hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy. This old man has no interest in such a little runt!"

"Good! I believe the two of you will keep your promises!"

Having received their guarantees, Itachi also deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Time is of the essence. Itachi, once you are ready, hurry and carry out the mission! Everything is for Konoha!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was solemn.

"Yes! Everything is for Konoha!"

Itachi's expression was serious as he strengthened his resolve!

How hypocritical!

Danzo cursed inwardly, but seeing both men looking at him, he casually added, "Everything is for Konoha!"

After Itachi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression immediately turned cold. He said in a low voice:

"Danzo, find an appropriate opportunity to eliminate both Itachi Uchiha and Uchiha Sasuke. Such an evil bloodline as the Uchiha clan should disappear completely from the Ninja World!"

"Heh! Hiruzen, you truly are as hypocritical as ever! But even if you hadn't said it, this old man would have found an opportunity to act."

For Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan and the secret on Uchiha Sasuke's body, the two had to be captured, dead or alive!

Danzo added inwardly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Danzo from the corner of his eye. He knew this old friend of his better than anyone.

The moment Danzo stuck out his ass, Hiruzen knew exactly what kind of shit he was about to take!

The Third Hokage knew Danzo's thoughts perfectly well at this moment, but he said nothing.

He only needed to give the other man some motivation so that he would put in real effort during this operation, then seize the fruits of victory after the battle.

After all, he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was the Hokage!